“Redneck” Origins

Where does the term redneck come from, and is it derogatory? It goes back at least to the 1830s where it pops up in the Carolinas to refer to a farmer that works in the sun. Over time, people like listener Richard Ramirez of Fort Worth, Texas, have taken it as a term of pride, denoting their authenticity and work ethic. The reality series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has furthered the cause with her call to redneckognize! As always, whether such a term is offensive depends on who’s saying it, and to whom. This is part of a complete episode.

One of my favorite obscure folksingers from the ’60s and early 70s, Patrick Sky, wrote a parody of “Okie from Muskogee,” and when he performed it, told the audience it had been written by “Red Neckerchief.”